Mario Kart AU Release Date and Price

It's been a long time coming for Nintendo fans marooned in this island land of Australia, but we finally have a date and price for Mario Kart on Wii.

April 24 is officially Mario Kart day for Wii fans.

Australians can also thrill to the glorious, white plastic of the steering wheel, which, according to Nintendo's release, makes it simple for everyone to pick up and play Mario Kart Wii, no matter what your previous gaming experience may be. For those that like a challenge, Mario Kart Wii supports four additional control options; Wii Remote turned sideways, Wii Remote and Nunchuk combination, Classic Controller and the Nintendo GameCube Controller, so there is a control method that fits everyone's experience and style.

In news that should also come as a relief to fans, it appears Nintendo is going to be retaining the online component too. Connect your Wii to the internet, and Mario Kart Wii is an online multiplayer game thanks to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. Up to 12 players world wide, can race simultaneously in a contest of speed and skill. The Wi-Fi Connection allows you to see if your friends are playing by checking their status, or you can create a room and use the chat option to send friends messages before a race. You can even jump into your friend's race as a spectator while their race is in progress, and join the race when the next course begins.

A new Wii Channel will launch with Mario Kart Wii – the Mario Kart Channel. Monitor your rankings against Mario Kart Wii players world wide, share Ghost Data, access a host of special features, and join a community of Mario Kart Wii racing fans from around the world.